A friend near Osaka sent a banner written in Japanese kanji.  It
hangs on the wall of my office, black scrawls on rough paper.  I
do not know what the characters mean.  I do not read kanji.  But what I think they mean is:
 
                                           Mr. Flynn,
                                           the sea
                                           sparkles
                                           yet is
                                           crowded
                                           with monsters.
                                           Do not
                                           marry,
                                           Mr. Flynn.
                                           Weddings
                                           are white,
                                           however,
                                           the shoes
                                           are black.
 
In return I would write, in equally mysterious romaji:
                                                                          
                                           Mr. Takahashi,
                                           the photograph
                                           of you
                                           and your bride,
                                           two dolls
                                           in formal clothes
                                           before an
                                           Australian chapel,
                                           made me
                                           smile. 
                                           However,
                                           in the picture
                                           one year later
                                           your baby
                                           cries.